Air Traffic Controllers Reveal Flaw That Could Lead to In-Air Collisions

A handful of air traffic controllers from Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, MI, have blown the whistle on a dangerous flaw of currently flight confirmation systems that poses serious safety risks, like collisions in mid-air.

According to the Associated Press, the flaw was explained in letters sent to letters sent to the White House and Congress by the Office of Special Counsel, and centers around current flight-tracking software's general inability to handle multiple or updated flight plans for a single flight.

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Essentially, this limitation in labeling makes it difficult for air traffic controllers to be sure that the flight plans they are clearing are up to date. It's a situation that the FAA has been aware of at least since December 2014 and while regulatory body has assigned people to come up with a solution to the problem, the only way air traffic controllers can currently double-check flight plans is by digging through paper records or manually calling pilots.

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When these inaccuracies happen—they can happen a few times a week in Detroit, one air traffic controller told the Associated Press—they can be severe. Air traffic control might clear a plan to takeoff and head west only to have it takeoff and head east, a route outlined in a different, updated flight plan that was filed but not immediately found.

According to other dispatchers, the system has a plethora of other issues as well, including bogus revision alerts and other inaccuracies, all of which tend to compound during bad weather, when stress and danger are already at high levels. On top of all that, air traffic control systems were found to be especially vulnerable to hacking earlier this year. Sounds like the whole system is due for an upgrade and hopefully this pressure can ensure that it will happen, and fast.